Take Her Home
by frank.kilgenschmidt
Summary: Set as a precursor to For Now: Continuing On. Jack's out with Bobby after work for a few drinks and runs across a young lady. Jack's choice builds his reputation as a ladies man, but Sue would be proud of him if she knew him then. One-shot.


**Kind of a precursor to _For Now: Continuing On_ about Jack. (Spoiler) I established that Jack never "took a girl home" from a bar; so how did he get the reputation in DC, how did it start? Inspired by one of my now-favorite songs, the question is answered in this story...**

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Music throbbed around Jack as he was laughing with Bobby, sipping on his first whiskey of the night. Of course, it would be his only whiskey of the night; they had gotten out of the office late and Jack was going to be the designated driver for them.

"Jack, why do you have to be such a whiskey snob?" Bobby asked him good-naturedly, downing his first in one go.

"Because, I like to enjoy the taste of a good whiskey, not the burn of barely palatable whiskey. Apparently, they still haven't figured out how to make good stuff down in Australia."

"Nah, I just don't pay for it." Bobby said, flagging down the barkeep and ordering another.

"Easy there, fella." Jack said, looking as Bobby tossed down the second as quickly as the first. "I'm not pouring you into and out of the car tonight. The day was long, and I'm not up to it."

Bobby laughed and signaled for a beer. "I'll be slowing down from here. Don't you worry, Jack."

The evening progressed, but Bobby's eyes kept getting drawn to a young lady who was at the bar. Jack caught his gaze and noted that there wasn't so much interest as pity. "What?"

Bobby sighed. "She's been downing shots for a while now. There's no way that she can be anywhere near sober. And as good looking as she is, someone here is going to try to pick her up." Disgust slid across his features for a second. "Probably fresh off a breakup."

As they watched, she got up a little unsteadily and walked out onto the dance floor, eyes closed and dancing like no one else was out on the floor. Jack's gaze hardened as he noted how most guy's eyes roved over her body like she was some appealing slab of meat. "Bobby, can you take a cab home?"

Bobby looked at Jack, confusion written all over his face. "What?"

Jack looked over at him, a crooked grin on his face. "I'm going to see if I can take her home with me. Can you take a cab home, please?"

Bobby stared at Jack for several seconds, then nodded. "If I didn't know you better, I would be concerned. But I think I know what you are doing. Yeah, I can take a cab."

Jack tossed back the remnants of his shot, nodded to Bobby, then rose to his feet, affecting the most charming grin that he could. He was no dummy; he knew just how attractive he was and how to charm most women. She opened her eyes as he approached, weaving through the other bodies on the dance floor, and cast an appraising glance over him. She returned his grin with one of her own as he stopped in front of her.

"May I have this dance, my lady?" Jack asked gallantly, offering his hand and turning his charm up to the max.

She blushed, "Why, I think I would like that." She said, and without much further thought, Jack was spinning her around the dance floor and chatting with her as if he had known her for years. She found herself strongly attracted to this gentleman with the engaging smile and gaze that made her knees weak; this gentleman who treated her as a lady.

She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "I think I would like you to take me home." She licked her lips as Jack's eyebrows shot up, then his grin came back and he said, "I like that idea".

As he left with this young lady on his arm, he noticed a face he recognized...a face from the drug busters. Penny. Crap. _Way to build the reputation you were trying to leave behind, Hudson._ But he couldn't leave this young lady to be poached as some piece of wild game.

The drive to the young lady's house was quiet, as she had fallen asleep about 15 minutes into the drive, and a half hour later, Jack carried her into her house. He laid her in her bed, placed a bucket, glass of water, and ibuprofen by her bed (s _hould be useful for her in the morning)_ ; then he put her keys and left a small note letting her know what happened, locked her door and left.

He blew out a breath as his passions, which he had brutally suppressed during the entire episode, came to the fore and he realized what he gave up by his actions. He knew that it would have been wrong on so many levels, and he wouldn't have kept his promise, the one that he had promised all those years ago. He knew that one day he would come across a woman that he would want to make his bride. The gift of himself was something that belonged to her by right, so out of love, he would deny himself.

He then let out a laugh and walked to his car. Maybe this woman he encountered tonight would now realize the difference between a man and a boy; it wasn't age, it was maturity and the willingness to sacrifice for the other.

* * *

 _He stared into his bride's eyes. "I renewed my vow to wait for my bride, fueled by the fact that even if she never knew, I would keep that gift for her and her alone."_

 _Sue caressed his cheek, again touched by his perseverance. "Thank you. I don't know if you really understand how much it means for me."_

 _He smiled crookedly. "I think I do. About as much as it does that you waited for me."_

 _She turned to him and planted her hands on his chest, desire winning completely over shyness. "Now...where were we?" She asked in a low, sultry tone._

 _Jack grinned at her and pulling her tightly to himself, fingers dancing along her back and causing her to shiver with pleasure in his arms. "I have a few ideas..."_

 _She turned her face up to him, running her hands along his chest. "Then show me." And she fused her mouth to his._

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 **So I just kinda slapped this out in two hours, but it was the first time that I heard the song _Drunk Girl_ by Chris Janson, and the plot just popped into my head. Hope you enjoyed it.**


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